The present subject matter relates generally to beverage makers and filtering devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to manual beverage makers and filtering devices for making and filtering cold or hot brewed coffee or tea.
Coffee and tea are two of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world. A broad assortment of techniques and related devices exist to brew coffee or tea and are chosen by users based upon their specific characteristics including ease of brewing, quantities to be brewed, and taste of the brewed coffee or tea. When brewing single or multiple servings, it is common for users to utilize equipment/methods such as what is commonly referred to as Drip, Siphon/Vacuum, French Press/Press Pot, Single Serve, Pour Over, and Percolator. While these methods are popular within the marketplace, there is room to further improve upon existing designs to provide similar ease of preparation with individual or multiple servings while also improving the ability of the user to vary the type and quantity of ingredients, time allowance, and other variables in accordance with the user's preferences.
Also, previous coffee brewing and filtering devices were often large and bulky. For example, commercially available drip coffee brewing and filtering devices were generally sized to brew a four-cup to twelve-cup pot. The large size of these commercially available drip brewers took up precious space on user countertops. Similarly, previous French press coffee brewing and filtering devices often provided for multiple beverages and took up a considerable amount of space. Thus, there is a need for compact brewing and filtering devices.
For users that only wish to brew a single cup of coffee, traditional brewing methods are overkill. Most commercially available products, like the drip brewing devices and French Press coffee brewing devices, are typically sized for brewing several cups at a time. The large capacity of these devices makes brewing a single cup inefficient. Accordingly, there is a need for a brewing and filtering device that permits a user to efficiently make a single cup of well-brewed coffee or tea.
Another drawback of previously existing coffee and tea brewing and filtering devices is their lack of portability. Increasingly, users would like to make a great cup of coffee or tea when on the go and outside of the home. Many previous devices lack portability in terms of size, simplicity of use, or fragility of material, while disposable or instant coffee devices designed for use during travel often produce coffee or tea that many users find unpleasant. Thus, there is a need for coffee and tea brewing and filtering devices with improved portability.
Accordingly, there is a need for a brewing and filtering device for coffee and tea, as described herein.